10 Decades-Old Cold Case Murders Solved with DNA

Yes, it is possible for decades-old cold case murders to be solved with DNA. Advances in DNA analysis techniques, such as genetic genealogy and forensic DNA phenotyping, have led to the identification of suspects and offenders in previously unsolved crimes. In some cases, DNA evidence that was collected at the time of the crime but was not able to be analyzed due to technological limitations, can now be tested and used to solve the case. Additionally, DNA databases, such as the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), can be used to match DNA evidence from a crime scene to a known offender or a relative of the offender.

The "Golden State Killer" case: In April 2018, Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and other crimes committed in the 1970s and 1980s. The case was solved using DNA evidence and genetic genealogy.

The "Grim Sleeper" case: In 2010, Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder in Los Angeles, California. The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic DNA phenotyping.

The "East Area Rapist" case: In 2018, James Joseph DeAngelo was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and other crimes committed in California in the 1970s and 1980s. The case was solved using DNA evidence and genetic genealogy.

The "Colonial Parkway" murders: murders case has been solved by DNA. While DNA evidence was likely used in the investigations and may have played a role in the arrest of Earl Webster Cox, it is not specified if it was the sole evidence that led to the solving of the case. The case is still considered open.

It's worth mentioning that, Cold case investigations are complex and multifaceted, and solving them often requires a combination of investigative techniques, including DNA analysis, forensic science, and traditional police work.
The "Oakland County Child Killer" case: In 2018, William D. Reese was arrested and charged with the murder of four children in Michigan in the 1970s. The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic genealogy.

The "Green River Killer" : case, also known as the Green River murders, was a series of killings that occurred in the early 1980s in the state of Washington. The victims were primarily women who were involved in prostitution or other high-risk lifestyles. The case went cold for several decades, but in 2001, Gary Leon Ridgway was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder in connection with the case.

The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic DNA phenotyping. Specifically, DNA samples from several of the victims were matched to a sample from Ridgway, which was obtained during a routine traffic stop. Additionally, DNA evidence was used to link Ridgway to other crimes that had not been previously connected to the Green River murders. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to 48 counts of murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The "Long Island serial killer" case: In 2020, John Bittrolff was arrested and charged with the murders of two women in New York in the 1990s. The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic genealogy.

The "Skid Row Slayer" case: In 2002, Chester Dwayne Turner was arrested and charged with the murders of 10 women in Los Angeles, California. The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic DNA phenotyping.

The "Gone Girl" case: In 2013, James B. Koedatich was arrested and charged with the murder of a young girl in New Jersey in 1982. The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic genealogy.

The "Red River Killer" case: In 2019, James Edward Biela was arrested and charged with the murder of a woman in Nevada in 2008. The case was solved using DNA evidence and forensic genealogy.